Milestones and activities 2023

Ruter starts 2023 by becoming Eco-Lighthouse certified. Eco-Lighthouse is a recognized and effective tool for certification and environmental management, which helps us on the path to a green transition. By being certified, the company actively contributes to improving eight of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals through targeted work to improve environmental performance in the areas of work environment, waste management, energy use, procurement, and internal transport.

On January 26th, Kristin Bjella will be appointed as the new Chair of the Board at Ruter. Kristin Bjella is a lawyer and partner at the law firm Hjort. She has previous work experience from the Legislation Department of the Ministry of Justice, the courts, Haavind AS, and extensive board experience. Bjella has been the Deputy Chair of Ruter’s Board since the Annual General Meeting in April 2021. She takes over as Chair from Sigurd Grytten.

At the start of spring, we remind you in this campaign that it’s easy and flexible to travel throughout our region. With a focus on human connections, subsequent measurements show that 54% feel more inclined to travel by public transport and 33% have a more positive impression of Ruter after seeing the campaign.

In connection with the electrification of the fast ferries from the summer of 2024, battery swapping stations are planned for Aker Brygge, Slemmestad, Drøbak and Nesoddtangen. As the first municipality, Nesodden approves the placement of the charging robot in 2023. When the boat docks, the fully automated charging robot will swap 21 tons of batteries in 3 minutes.

From April 16th, 2023, Ruter is expanding the Reis pilot to all customers in Oslo
and Akershus. Reis is initially a trial scheme that will run until April 2024. The goal is to deliver a customized and flexible ticket pricing structure that rewards regular use of public transport. With Reis, the intention is to provide customers with a much more flexible travel option for those who want to alternate between working from home and at the office.

In several rounds, we encourage people to download and use the new Ruter app, because from June 1st, it will no longer be possible to buy tickets in RuterBillett. The message receives high attention and is perceived as clear and relevant to people. A total of 85% of those surveyed say they have downloaded the app after the campaign.

The Ruter Age-Friendly Transport on-demand service is expanding and will become available to everyone over 67 in the Østensjø district as well. This means the popular service is now accessible in a total of seven districts in Oslo. On September 4th, 2017, Ruter and the City of Oslo launched the pilot project in the Nordre Aker district. When the project transitioned into a permanent service in regular operation in 2022, it continued to be available in six districts.

Ruter and Sporveien are taking the opportunity to implement several projects to improve facilities for travelers during the construction of the new Hellerud tunnel and the closure of lines 2 and 3. The work to improve accessibility at seven metro stations is possible thanks to the Oslo municipality allocating 103 million earmarked kroner for this purpose.

The photo (from left) shows the head of planning and infrastructure at Ruter, Sari Wallberg, CEO of Sporveien Birte Sjule, former transport councilor Sirin Stav (MDG), projects at Sporveien Thor Georg Sælid and Sporveien’s project manager Yasin Ismail (from left) at Mortensrud metro station.

Over a year before Ring 1 closes due to the construction of the new Government Quarter and subsequent upgrade of Ring 1, Ruter is warning about the potential consequences for public transport and what measures should be implemented. The background is that the Hammersborg tunnel will be lowered by ten meters in connection with securing the new government quarter. When the road closes, traffic in Oslo city center must be reduced by 30% to maintain current accessibility.

During the summer holidays of 2023, adults over 18 can bring up to four children under 18 on the same ticket. This is thanks to additional funding from Oslo and Viken county municipalities, allowing Ruter to offer an expanded group discount during the summer holidays. From June 22nd until August 21st, one adult with a valid ticket can bring up to four children (under 18) for free throughout the entire operating day in all zones during the summer holidays.

In the summer of 2023, we encourage everyone to take their favorite activities to new places. For many, summer is a time for exploring a bit extra, and Ruter can take you there. According to measurements, the campaign inspires 56% to want to travel more by public transport, and 39% get a more positive impression of Ruter.

In July, the fast ferry finally returns to Son, after not calling there earlier in 2023 due to safety concerns. The stop in Son harbor was close to swimmers, docks, and other boats both on the water and at the quay, which made it no longer justifiable to sail there. However, Vestby municipality and Son Harbor acted quickly, moving docks and making other adjustments so that the fast ferry can once again call at Son in a safe and secure manner.

During Arendalsuka in August, we launched RuterGPT, our own developed language model (LLM). The model is based on existing open-source language models and trained on Norwegian datasets. Artificial intelligence will play an increasingly central role in the development of Ruter’s travel offerings: Language models like RuterGPT will, for example, be able to provide you with up-to-date and easy-to-understand information about anything you might wonder about public transport, from departure times to refund rules. By creating our own language model, we can better safeguard data security and privacy.

On August 23rd, the newly renovated Jessheim Station is opened to the public. With a better approach angle for buses that allows them to utilize the entire platform length more easily, the station’s universal accessibility is improved. The station also features new guidance lines, marked pedestrian crossings, improved lighting, and a new real-time information display. Additionally, the staff break rooms have been refurbished, including two restrooms for personnel.

From left: Managing Director of Viken County Municipality VKT Jafar Altememy, Mayor of Ullensaker Eyvind Jørgensen Schumacher (Ap), County Councilor for Transport in Viken Olav Skinnes (Sp), County Council Leader in Viken Siv Henriette Jacobsen (Ap), and Head of Traffic Planning at Ruter Borghild Rime Bay.

In the summer of 2023, Ruter’s six summer students crisscrossed Oslo and Viken to map bus stops. Everything from platform width, bench height and quality to platform access – and much more – was meticulously recorded, which will provide concrete value for customers. The goal was to reach 1000, and the final number was 1026. The accessibility information will eventually be included in the app, among other places. This can make a big difference for many, especially for those who are hesitant to use public transport today.

In September 2023, we can finally celebrate that passenger numbers are back to the same level as in 2019, the last normal year before the pandemic. This prompts Ruter’s CEO, Bernt Reitan Jenssen, to let out a small «Hooray!» in an interview with NRK. In September 2023, there were 30.6 million boardings in total within Ruter’s area, an increase of 7.3 percent from the same period the year before.

In 2025, 136 emission-free minibuses will be introduced for school transport in Romerike. This was confirmed in September 2023, with the awarding of four contracts for minibus services. The new minibuses will provide a high-quality service to customers who cannot use regular public transport due to health conditions, residence/distance, or dangerous school routes.

On September 4th, the new Hellerud Tunnel opens, and finally, lines 2 and 3 towards the east are back in normal operation after 109 days of bus replacement service. Sporveien’s extensive work on upgrading the infrastructure includes, among other things, reduced gradients and straighter tracks, allowing the metro to increase its speed to the delight of passengers.

In front of a packed press corps on the metro, Ruter’s CEO Bernt Reitan Jenssen and Sporveien AS CEO Birte Sjule prepare for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Hellerud Tunnel.

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration grants permission for Ruter to conduct an autonomous driving pilot in Groruddalen in the coming months. The permit allows 5 vehicles to operate on 560 km of roads at speeds up to 60 km/h. This permit is a major step towards being able to offer customers fleets of autonomous vehicles that pick up on demand.

Finally, Ruter can launch journey saving in the app, a feature that has been long requested. This means that once you’ve found a journey you want to take in the future, you can save it and it will appear on the front page of Travel in the app. Here you’ll have quick access to your planned journey, and you’ll be updated on any disruptions or delays.

We know that using a pointing finger doesn’t work well to motivate people to buy a ticket. By showing understanding that there’s a lot to remember and at the same time thanking you for remembering to pay, we increase the motivation to pay. Measurements show that almost 40% of non-payers are motivated to pay for their ticket every time in this campaign.

In November, Ruter wins the Research Council of Norway’s Innovation Award for its use and development of artificial intelligence in public transport. According to the CEO of the Research Council, Mari Sundli Tveit, Ruter impressively demonstrates the possibilities that lie in the digital economy, customer focus, and artificial intelligence.

In the photo, Ruter’s IT Director, Terje Storhaug, is being interviewed by NRK Stor-Oslo about the award.

Ski, Vestby, Nesodden, and Drøbak will receive electric and emission-free buses when Connect Bus takes over operations on June 29th, 2025. This becomes clear when Connect Bus AS wins the tender for the four route areas for transport services in Follo. The contract has a duration of ten years, with an option for up to three additional years, and has an annual value of 452 million kroner. The buses will be equipped with automatic snow chains and will be well-suited for traffic on hilly roads.

Sunday, December 10th, is a milestone for Ruter, our partners, and our owners. With the start of two Oslo East contracts, the final major step is taken to make Oslo the world’s first capital with emission-free public transport. During 2024, all 137 buses in these contracts, operated by Unibuss and Nobina, will be electric.

The image shows Unibuss’ new electric buses at the bus depot in Brubakkveien, Grorud.

Shortly after the start of new bus contracts in Oslo East, Unibuss faces major challenges with the charging infrastructure at the bus depot in Grorud. During a cold spell, only 21 out of 78 charging points are in constant use, leading to numerous cancellations. The challenges persist into 2024 and have extensive consequences for both Ruter and the operators. Towards the end of January 2024, Ruter presents a series of measures to its owners, Akershus County Municipality and Oslo Municipality, aimed at improving public transport’s ability to handle demanding winter conditions in the future.

Most people don’t want more things, but more time together. That’s why for Christmas 2023 we’re creating a brand new service where people can wrap up a very special meeting as a Christmas gift on ruter.no/gave. The campaign aims to show that Ruter cares, connects people and the region, and that public transport is for everyone.